The Letter
by Allthestoriesaretrue666
Summary: Set in sixth year, Draco receives a message from his father telling him to kill Dumbledore. However, Draco's secret is discovered. Lots of Drarry ;) Please review! This is my first fanfic, and I would like to make my future writing better. Thanks!
1. Chapter 1

I stared down at the letter in my hand. No, they can't want me to do this. It's a mistake. I reread it until each word was blazed into my mind.

**_"_****_Kill Albus Dumbledore. End him, and your family will be safe. The Dark Lord asks this task of you. Do not fail him._**

**_-Lucius Malfoy"_**

He didn't sign it "Dad." He didn't plead with me to keep them safe, simply stated their potential deaths as an afterthought. My hand started shaking. I knew that I was focusing on minute things. But I couldn't wrap my head around what I had to do. Kill Dumbledore? Of course, he is a prick, but kill him? He was Potter's father figure; I couldn't do that to him. "End him, and your family will be safe." Those were my two options: destroy Potter or watch my parents go up in flames. _How could you-_

I felt my eyes widen as I realized what I was doing. I tried to take it back, but that isn't how it works, is it? I felt the mark burn across my arm. My breath was torn from my throat, my knees collapsing from under me. I couldn't see: the world was spinning too fast. I gripped onto the cold stone floor, trying to hold on, not to get flung off the edge. I couldn't breathe-

"Malfoy?"

I heard a voice as if a league away, just a whisper above the roar in my ears.

"Malfoy? Are you okay? What're you doing on the ground?"

Oh, Merlin, it was Potter. I was in a heap in the hall and Harry fucking Potter was standing over me like a dark angel in glasses. And the world slowed as he kneeled next to me.

"Draco? Can you hear me?"

His forehead was creased with worry. He had called me Draco. _Merlin's beard, I'm a Hufflepuff. _Then the world fell away.

_ •_

I caught Malfoy's head just before it hit the stone tiles. His silver eyes had slid shut, and his hands were clenched into fists that now slackened. Something was seriously wrong. I leaned down to pick him up, as a piece of paper fell out of his left hand. Hardly noticing it, I pocketed it and lifted the blond boy into my arms. I was surprised at how solid he felt. Many minutes and a few curses later, I finally got him to the med wing.

"Madam Pomfrey!"

She came bustling in and quickly levitated Malfoy away from me and onto a bed. "What did you do now, Potter?"

"Nothing! I was just walking the hall and saw him fall on the ground. He fainted and I got him here. I had nothing to do with it!"

The med witch looked at me, annoyed. "Yes, well. He's here now. You may go back to your classes- "

"Potter."

I started, looking to Malfoy's bed. Draco was sitting up and staring at me, absolute horror filling his eyes. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Madame Pomfrey preform some checkup spells and frown.

"Uh, hullo, Malfoy. You fainted in the corridor, so I carried you to Madame Pomfrey." I flinched, waiting for the buggar to sneer at my ineloquence.

Instead, his face decided to have a war: turn fuchsia or ghost white. "I feinted?!" He groaned and buried his face in his hands. That made me grin.

"Yes, Draco. Do you want me to fetch the smelling salts? Or perhaps loosen your corset, you dainty little- "

"That is enough, Mr. Potter!" I turned in surprise to see Madame Pomfrey with an expression I had never seen cross her face before. She had lost all rosiness and turned an ashy gray, her eyes wide.

"Madame Pomfrey, are you alrigh- "

"I am perfectly fine," she snapped. Now, get back to your classes. Mr. Malfoy needs his rest." While this phrase was familiar to me, it seemed more automatic than heartfelt. I decided to take that as an excuse to stay and tried to sit on the bed opposite of Malfoy. Only it was no longer there, and I landed solidly on my bum. "I do believe I just told you to leave, Mr. Potter. Now."

There was no arguing with her. I got off the floor and started to walk out, but I stopped in the doorway. "You'll make sure he's alright?"

"Of course, I will, Potter! What do you think I do?!" She was almost hysterical, so I took that as a definite sign it was time to go.

_ •_

I heard the heavy wooden door close behind Potter and chanced to look up. I don't know what I was expecting to see, but it certainly wasn't a furious Madame Pomfrey lording over me. "Expecto Patronum!" That was the first spell. If I was surprised by that one, I certainly wasn't prepared for the second one. "Stupify!"

For the second time in the hour, my eyes rolled to the back of my head, and I collapsed into the bedsheets.

"What do you mean you already knew? How could you hide something like this? Do you understand-?"

"Madame Pomfrey, we are perfectly aware of how dire this situation is, but if you will please let Severus and I take care of it, we would- "

"Take care of it?! He's a Death Eater, Albus! He is not to be trusted!"

"I would prefer that if you are to insult me, you would speak to me directly, Poppy."

That voice. I knew that voice.

"Severus? I can't see." Well, that's what I tried to say. It ended up coming out more like, "Seeeeuh? I an ee."

I heard an alarmed squeal and "Stupi- "

"Stop! He's been through enough. Let him wake, Madame Pomfrey."

My vision was starting to return. I could see fuzzy figures that soon turned into the forms of Severus, Madame Pomfrey, and Dumbledore. The first was staring coldly, the second alarmed as if I would explode at any second, the last as if I was a new discovery and he was still trying to decide how he felt about finding me.

"Mr. Malfoy, how are you feeling?" I looked at Dumbledore suspiciously.

"What do all of you need to take care of," I asked, avoiding the question.

Dumbledore turned to Snape, who walked over to me, and gestured for me to give him my left arm. I gazed at him, incredulous. He can't possibly want to show them-oh. I suddenly realized what all of this was about. "You found out. How?"

"Madame Pomfrey revealed it while performing some checkup spells. I must say, I am slightly disappointed, Mr. Malfoy." I flinched at my godfather's words.

"Right then. So, off to Azkaban, am I?" I was surprised at how calmly I was taking this. Maybe I was relieved. _At least the Dark Lord can't get to me there._

"We are still deciding how it is best to proceed with this, Mr. Malfoy. For the time being, you will stay in the med wing. A fellow student will bring you your classwork and the house elves will bring your meals." Dumbledore's voice was dry and tired and quickly interrupted by Madame Pomfrey's shrill one.

"You can't possibly expect me to keep him here! He's a Death Eater, and- "

"Poppy, he is a sixteen-year-old boy. He's not going to murder you in your sleep."

At that, Pomfrey squeaked, glanced at me, and finally muttered out her consent.

"However," she proclaimed. "If he makes one foul move, I will send straight for the Ministry, regardless of your wishes, Albus."

Dumbledore smiled grimly. "I have no doubt in my mind of this, Madame Pomfrey. Now if you'll excuse me, I must get back to work." And if that, he drifted out of the room, as if the old man wasn't even touching the floor.

"Madame Pomfrey, you wouldn't mind if I had a word with Mr. Malfoy?" My head snapped up to look at Severus; I had almost forgotten he was there. Madame Pomfrey proceeded to make herself scarce.

Severus paced the floor, looking more agitated than I had ever seen him. Finally, I just couldn't stand the silence. "What's going to happen now?" I asked, my voice less steady than I would have liked.

Severus sighed and faced me, his hands behind his back. "I don't know. Albus is a good man, and he has kept my secret for decades. However, he knew that I was a spy-yes, Draco, I am a spy-and he knows that you are working willingly for the Dark Lord." He raised his hand to silence my protest. "I am aware, Draco, of the Dark Lord holding your family's lives over your head, and so is Albus. Hopefully, that along with your age will keep you safe."

I fell back against the metal backboard of the infirmary bed. "Dad sent me a card." I relayed the contents of the letter Severus. When I looked back up at him, he didn't seem surprised.

"Thank you for telling me this, but I already knew. It's a test that the Dark Lord has made for you, to see where your loyalty lies. Your aunt Beatriz knew of this test as well and had me perform an oath that I would kill Albus if you could not. That way, you won't be punished- "

I interrupted him by sitting bolt-right-up in the bed and exploding. "You took an oath to WHAT? Now he'll die no matter what I do! You've just taken away my choice!"

My godfather looked at me sadly. "Draco, you never had a choice to begin with."


	2. Chapter 2

•

"You had to carry Malfoy to the infirmary? Oh, mate, I'm sorry."

"Technically, Ron, Harry could have simply levitated Malfoy." Hermione looked at me curiously. "Why didn't you just levitate him?"

"Because I'm an idiot who forgot he's a wizard, 'mione. By the way, have you noticed how solid he is now? Do you think he's been working out?" Ron and Hermione shared a look over my shoulders. I pretended to ignore it. "I mean, where could he be getting exercise? Quidditch isn't that athletic, and he would only have time to work out if he got up early every morni-which would explain the bags under his eyes! He's not getting enough sleep because he's working out so that he can bring us down-"

"Harry, may I remind you that Malfoy is a wizard? He doesn't need to 'work out' to be powerful." Hermione stated this without even glancing at me.

"Besides," Ron said, "You're being annoying again with the whole Malfoy-is-plotting-and-I-just-happen-to-notice-every-bloody-thing-about-him."

I sighed. I had received this talk multiple times over the years. But, how did they not know that the only reason I noticed everything about Malfoy was so I could fight him better? 'Keep your friends close and your enemies closer' right?

"Tapeworm." Hermione's voice interrupted my moping as the Fat Lady swung back. Ron and Hermione plunked down on a plush red sofa, but I headed to the dorms.

"I'm going to bed early. See you in the morning."

"Don't forget the Herbology essay!" Hermione's voice floated behind me. I wasn't tired so much as drained. I also wanted to know what had happened to Malfoy. Sure, he was a drama queen, but it didn't look like he knew that I was there. Why would he put on a show if there was no one there to see it? And if it was genuine, as it appeared to be, what would make him pass out like that? I knew that he was a lot stronger than he let on, so it had to be something big. Did he take a wonky potion?

I took off my robe and draped it on the back of a chair. A tiny piece of paper drifted out of its pocket and landed at my feet. Suddenly remembering the note I had seen in Malfoy's hand, I picked it up.

"Kill Albus Dumbledore. End him, and your family will be safe. The Dark Lord asks this task of you. Do not fail him.

-Lucius Malfoy"

The small letter fell from my hand. Malfoy is going to kill Dumbledore. I didn't complete the thought before I was out the door.

"Harry! Where're you going?"

I barely registered Ron's voice as I dashed out of the common room.

I crashed through the med wing doors, my wand already out. A few candles were still lit, and Malfoy was sitting on the same bed that I had left him on, reading some book. I raised my wand as he raised his blonde head. "Stupif-"

"Expelliarmus!"

My wand flew across the room, and suddenly I was the one with a wand pointed at my neck. Honestly, how does he move that fast?

"Do you have one good reason that I shouldn't make you forget your own name, Potter?"

"I do, and if you don't get back in that bed this instant, Mr. Malfoy, I will tie you down."

Both of us turned our heads to see Madame Pomfrey; she was dressed in a printed nightgown and looked like she was entertaining the idea of murdering at least one of us. Malfoy lowered his wand, and walked back to his bed, glowering. Madame Pomfrey continued to glare at me.

"Is there a special reason you felt the urge to burst through my doors and disturb Mr. Malfoy?"

"Yes, actually. You see, Madame Pomfrey, Malfoy is planning to kill Professor Dumbledore." I glanced over at Malfoy to see his reaction. All colour drained from his face. "I found a letter from his father that he dropped in the corridor. The letter said that Voldemort wanted Malfoy to kill Dumbledore. The Malfoys are Death Eaters."

I returned my gaze to Madame Pomfrey. I suppose I expected her to be horrified or at least surprised, but she just looked tired. "Mr. Potter, we are aware that all three Malfoys are Death Eaters, and while I was not told about this letter, I am sure that Dumbledore has been."

I gaped are the med witch, but she continued in a drained tone. "Now, Mr. Potter, seeing as you are out past curfew, I cannot send you back to your house. You will spend the night here." My jaw could not have dropped any lower.

"Oh! And I'm confiscating your wands. I am exhausted and not dealing with any hex from either of you. Acio wands!" I was wrong: my jaw could drop lower. "Good night, gentleman. Try not to kill each other." And she was gone, leaving me with a wannabe murderer. Well, fuck.

•

Potter sank onto the bed across from mine; he looked dazed. Normally, I would smirk and make some snide remark, but I simply didn't have enough energy. "You read the letter?"

Potter looked up at me, slowly. "You want to kill Dumbledore. You're a Death Eater, just like your father. You ought to be locked up in Azkaban." He practically spits this at me. I just lay back in my bed.

•

The bastard was to ignore me. I hate him.

•

Potter was illuminated by the moon peeking through the window; he had a sort of silver lining around him. His glasses looked like they were glowing. He was glaring at me. I couldn't see his eyes (glowing glasses) but I could see the hard line that his mouth was set in. He looked like a furious dark angel. He always looked like a dark angel of some sort. I hated it. I hated that I had made him look so stunned. I hated that Father and The Dark Lord had made me do this. I hated that I couldn't choose anything. I had to do what was ordered or-

"Why?" Potter's voice startled me.

"Why what?"

"You're not stupid; you know what."

I sighed. "I didn't have a choice. I had to become a Death Eater."

Potter let out a humorless laugh. "Oh, you didn't have a choice. You always have a choice, Malfoy! You could have just-"

And I exploded. I had been strung fit to snap for years, and Potter had prodded once too many times. "NO, Potter, I didn't have a choice! You're the Boy Who Lived! You always have everything going for you, don't you? Me? My choices are to obey or watch my family die. That's it. So, you shut up, Golden Boy. You. Know. Nothing."

•

Malfoy erupted. He started yelling in my face, his own flushed. "NO, Potter, I didn't have a choice! You're the Boy Who Lived! You always have everything going for you, don't you? Me?" His voice was shaking now; he was shaking. His gaze shifted down to his clenched laced hands. "My choices are to obey or watch my family die. That's it. So, you shut up, Golden Boy. You. Know. Nothing." His voice had become a ragged whisper. The moonlight made his hair glow like a wicked halo.

I was silent for a long time. Long enough for the moonlight to shift in Malfoy's hair. I guess I had never thought that he wouldn't want to do all of this, wouldn't want to follow Voledmort's every command. Guess I was wrong.

I shifted and put one hand on Malfoy's [hands]. I could feel him tense even further. "Malfoy, you're hurting yourself. Draco, stop." It was true: his fingernails were biting deeply into the backs of his hands, creating angry half-moons.

I slowly detangled his grip, pulling both hands into my lap and holding them firmly. "Draco. You're right: I don't really know you, so I can't truly judge you. You've been an absolute prick to me my whole life, but I don't know what your life is like.

"But, you're wrong too." He looked up, frowning. "You're wrong if you think everything comes easily to me. You and I both have it hard-"

Draco yanked his hands from mine and sat back on his bed. I stood up and settled beside him. "I notice that you flinch when someone comes near to you with a raised hand or wand. You tensed up when I touched you just now. I do the same."

Draco let out a huff. "Potter, I doubt you and I have the same reasons for that-" His breath suddenly became sharp. "Harry. Who did that?"

I had lowered the collar of my shirt to reveal a jagged scar that Dudley had given me when I was ten; he had some cronies over, and they decided that it would be great fun to beat me with empty cans. Those lids are sharper than you would think.

I told Draco this; his eyes never left my scar. As I finished, he reached out to push my shirt down further. His fingers gently brushed my collar bone and it was my turn for a sharp intake of breath. He finally met my eyes. "I guess we're not so different after all."

Draco suddenly moved back, his cool hand leaving my skin. My breathing returned to a steady rate. "I suppose you want a truce, then?"

A small smile played on the edge of my lips. "Truce it is Draco. Now, how do you want to take down old Voldy?"


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm sorry for taking so long to update and then write so little; I have been slammed with school and music. Thank you to my little sister for proofreading everything. These characters do not belong to me, they belong to the fabulous J.K. Rowling. Please review and tell me what I can do to make future chapters better!**

**CHAPTER 3**

To be entirely honest, I didn't know what I was doing. Potter and I had been talking for the better part of two hours. I had quickly changed the subject to more mundane things than the Dark Lord, and we were discussing everything from Quidditch to the best spells to use in a fight. My mind kept returning to the question: "Is this real?" Was I pretending to have a truce with Potter to hand him over to the Dark Lord, or was this genuine? Did Potter want a truce with me only to find out my secrets then hand me over to the Ministry? I didn't know.

If I was being honest, I would never give Potter to the Dark Lord. I hated them both, but Potter was better than-

I doubled up. _Merlin, why do I keep doing this? _I didn't bother to try and take my thoughts back; I just let the pain wash over me. The lights went out quicker this time.

_•_

I didn't know what I was doing. I had thought about a different timeline where I took Draco's hand back in first year. I would probably be in Slytherin. I wouldn't be a Death Eater, that's for sure. But I wonder if Draco would be, if I had been there, talking to him like this.

My thoughts and awkward rambling were suddenly interrupted by Draco clutching his arm, hissing. I grabbed onto his shoulder, and he fell into me, his eyes closed.

Time seemed to slow for a bit. I thought about calling for Madame Pomfrey, but she had been so mad at me before, and she deserved more sleep. I started performing check-up spells, trying to see what was wrong with him. His left forearm lit up like a Christmas tree.

I slid his robe back and undid his cuff. As I rolled the clothe up, his pale skin became visible, along with a Black Death Eater's mark. Somehow, I wasn't upset by this; I was worried about how red and angry the skin around the mark was. I started casting healing spells.

_•_

**_ "_**_Reparifors." _

A soft voice began to shed the black fog hanging over me. I just wanted to sleep. I was so done. I didn't want to wake and see Mother's blank face, hear Lucius say that I deserved the curse.

"Come on, Draco. I need you to wake up, you prat. _Reparifors."_

That was definitely not Mother's voice. I started to swim out of the fog.

"Okay, Draco. I'm going to do this, and if you don't wake the fuck up, I'm going to punch you, got it?" I would have laughed if I could.

"_Vulnera Sanentur." _The words were lovely, like a song. I was pulled awake and the world cleared. More on point, Potter's worried face hovering over me cleared. I blinked, and his face split into a beautiful grin.

"Thank, Merlin. You alright, Draco?"

Furious at myself (for more than one reason) I snapped. "What do you care, Potter? Get off of me."

Hurt, the green-eyed boy got up and offered a hand to me. I pretended not to notice and stood.

"I don't know why I care, Malfoy, but I do. So, if you would kindly tell me why you keep passing out, maybe I can help-"

"I don't need your help, Potter."

_•_

He practically spit my name out of his mouth.

_•_

Why couldn't he leave me alone? Why couldn't he get it? I couldn't be around him, I couldn't be nice to him, I couldn't even think about him, and here he was, trying to _help me_. I couldn't handle it.

"I know it has something to do with the Dark Mark, Draco." I froze. He stepped closer.

"I know you're a Death Eater. I know you're supposed to kill Dumbledore, but you don't seem to want to. I know that you keep passing out, and I know that you're ROBE IS ON FIRE!"

To be honest, I had fallen under a stupor from his soft repetitive words. I was out of it now.

_•_

Draco's left sleeve was licked with poison green flames. I rushed forward as he waved his arm, trying to put the fire out.

_•_

The flames shot up, encasing my entire body. My skin crawled.

_•_

"DRACO!" He had become a writhing shadow in the green blaze. I cursed the Hogwarts education for teaching me how to set fires, but not extinguish them! I turned to yell for Madame Pomfrey when I felt a rope of heat encircle my wrist. Looking down, I could see a lick of fire had caught my arm and was dragging me into the roar. It didn't hurt, so I let it take me to Draco.

_•_

My nerves should have shut down a while ago. That's how I knew that this was not a normal fire. (Obviously, it wasn't normal; it was green and had a mind of its own. It just wasn't a normal _magic_ fire.) As soon as I realized this, I sat down on the cold stone. (Why was it cold?) The pain washed over me, and I could feel the tears streaming down my face. I'm a coward. I know that. I'm a Slytherin after all. There was a magical fire and I was sitting on the floor, crying. Harry would have figured all of this out by now. Speaking of which, since the fucking when did he walk through fire? He knelt beside me, taking my face in his calloused hands. His thumbs brushed the tears from my cheeks. He was trying to say something, but I could hear. I was going to die. I was going to die in green magical fire, and Harry Potter was holding my face. In that moment, I came to terms with what I had not admitted to myself since I was eleven. I was in love with him. And he was going to die with me.

_•_

"Draco, you're going to be okay. I promise. I think the fire is trying to help you." I knew he couldn't hear me, but I did see when his expression went from awe to tragic acceptance to fear. He was shouting something, but the roar of the fire was too intense to hear anything else. He was trying to push me back, trying to get me out of the flames. _Nice try, buddy, but that's not going to happen._ I attempted to pin his arms against his sides; as I grabbed him, the flames shot to the ceiling with a scream and dissipated. Draco collapsed against me. I took him by the shoulders. "Draco? Are you okay?"

A small snuff answered me. I couldn't believe it; he was asleep. I shook my head and started to lift him from the floor. Unconscious boys are heavy! I finally got him into his bed and removed his robes. I wasn't as surprised as I should have been to discover that his Dark Mark had disappeared.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

When I wake up, it is to Harry Potter and sunrise. I lay, paralyzed as the boy breathes peacefully in front of me. His lips are slightly parted and have the curves of a violin. The sun is glancing off his crooked glasses. I reach to right them and brush the hair away from his face. Harry must have pulled a chair over to the bed because he is sitting in one, his head resting against his crossed arms. I allow my fingers to with his hair while my brain short-circuits. I am accustomed to fighting Potter, not watching him sleep in my bed. (Practically on my bed. Sort of. Okay, his arms are on the bed. But I could dream.) I most certainly am not accustomed to watching Harry Potter blink sleep filled emerald eyes at me and-wait, blinking?!

I wake up to feeling safe. It is such a rare felling that it startles me. Opening my eyes, I hold a vision of blond, sun-drenched hair and a gob-smacked expression on Draco Malfoy's face. We lay there for a while, just starting at each other. My arms have gone numb.

Harry is awake now and watching me with the strangest expression on his face. His lips are still parted, his eyebrows framing his wide soft eyes. I can't seem to think properly while he's looking at me like that. If I could, I would have been out of that bed when I first saw this damn boy full of sunbeams and smiles and Holy Merlin, Harry is smiling at me. Morgana, I'm a Hufflepuff.

Draco is looking at me like Christmas came early, and I have to grin. I am in my sworn enemy's bed, (practically on his bed. Sort of. Okay, my just my arms were on the bed. But I could dream.) and I am grinning like an idiot.

Last night, after Draco had passed out for the second time, I had hauled him into his bed. I had been exhausted too but hadn't actually expected to sleep. It was nice to know that I could sleep that deeply anymore.

Draco has unfrozen and hopped out of his bed. (Is that a word? Unfrozen? I'm starting to get why Draco thinks I have the vocabulary of a toddler.) He is up and obviously trying to put a bored expression on his face. He's failing. I stand up and stretch, my shirt riding up to expose my belly, before moving over to him. When I get closer, I can see that his cheeks are tinged pink. His hair's mussed up, and his clothing is rumpled. I don't think that he's noticed the fact that he no longer bares the Dark Mark. I don't really know how to mention it to him. Damn, I wish I knew what he was thinking.

Abs. Harry Potter has abs. Sweet Morgana, I never stood a bloody chance.

I decide to take things slow and hold out my hand. Draco raises an eyebrow at me, and I nod at my outstretched hand. Slowly, he takes it. He looks like he's debating whether or not to run for the door. I'm not going to let him.

I'm debating whether or not to run for the door, but, from the look on Harry's face, it doesn't seem like he'll let me go. His hand is warm. I'm sure mine is cold and unpleasant.

Draco's hand is cold and pleasant. Like cool water after a Quittache match. His cheeks are quickly becoming redder by the second, and I realize that he's blushing. I permit myself a small smile before turning Draco's wrist over.

I am disappointing my entire family line; I'm bloody blushing from a bloody smile from bloody Harry Potter-

As soon as I trace a small pattern on Draco's forearm, he snatches his hand away. I look at him, my face impassive as his broils with fury, fear, and shame. I reach my hand out again. "Draco, it's gone." Now he just looks confused, and he looks down. His face goes blank.

"No."

_No. No, this isn't-no, how is there-what-_

"The fire last night. It took the Mark somehow."

I look at Harry. And his expression hits me like the Hogwarts Express. He's worried. For me. My face slams shut. "Well, Potter." He flinches at his last name. _Good._ "It appears that you have defied the laws of magic and signed my death warrant. Shall we call the morgue now, or later?"

Harry's eyes grow dark. "You're not going to die. The Mark is gone. Isn't that a good thing? Or are you going straight back to Voldemort and-"

I start laughing. Harry's face is stricken. _I've finally lost it. Now Father and I can be insane together._ "_The Dark Lord_ will kill me the second he sees that I've lost my Mark. My father will. My cousin, my friends, anyone who is a Death Eater would love to bring my head on a silver platter to Him." I've stopped laughing humorlessly and narrow my eyes. "I don't know what you did last night. But you need to undo it now."

"So that you can what? Kill Dumbledore to save your family? Voldemort will just kill you and them at a different time." Harry rakes his hands through his hair. "Look. What if you pretend to have the Mark and get your family out? Convince them that being Death Eaters is a suicide mission. If they turn themselves in now, they'll get away with lesser charges. Maybe you guys can even give the Order information on Voldemor-"

"I can't! I can't, I can't! He's inescapable, he's a trap and once you're in, you never get out. I don't-I can't-" I've broken into panicked gasps and Harry surprises me. (Maybe I should stop being surprised by him. I don't think I ever will, though.) He takes one step forward and wraps his arms around me, one at my shoulders, and one at my waist. I freeze, not really knowing how to react. And Harry just holds me, not caring that I'm stiff as a board. He holds me until I slump into him and rest my head into the crook of his neck. He holds me until my breathing is normal again. Holds me until we hear Madam Pomfrey moving around in her room. Harry steps back but doesn't take his hands off my shoulders.

"Are you going to be okay?" Harry whispers. I nod, and he lifts his hand to swipe at a tear I didn't even know was there. He steps away as Pomfrey comes in.

"Good morning, gentlemen. Mr. Potter, you have missed breakfast, but, seeing as it is a Sunday and you have no classes, I have already ordered the house elves to make you a meal to eat here. The same goes for you, Mr. Malfoy." She goes to attend the first student of the day, as the boys stare after her.

I hear a house elf Apparate onto the bed. I turn and find myself staring.

"Breakfast for Master Harry and-oh-Master Draco! Dobby is so sorry to have left you! Dobby must punish himself!" Dobby has begun to stab himself in the head with a fork before I can grab it from him.

"Dobby! It's okay. I'm fine. Stop hurting yourself, and that's an order, hear?" Dobby swipes at wet eyes and nods. He hands us our meal and Disaparates back to the kitchens.

Harry's looking at me, curiously. "Why was Dobby so upset about leaving you?"

I shrug, hoping my shame doesn't show. "I suspect he knew I would be subject to washing my own laundry until we found a new house elf. It is understandable for one to upset at something like that."

Harry narrows his eyes. "Is that a joke?" I look up at him, finally. I've been avoiding looking at him since he hugged me. Right now, he looks like he has some carefully tucked away fury mounting.

"Yes. It's a joke. I've washed my laundry since Dobby first left. I didn't like being dependent on someone else to take care of me."

Harry grunts and turns back to his food. We don't talk for the rest of our meal.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Harry left for his classes, and I am so unbelievably bored, I'm going to cry. Pansy and Blaise visited me, but they left for afternoon classes a while ago.

The worst part of this entire thing is that I'm missing Quidditch. (It's not, but I always had a flare for the dramatics.) I do enjoy torturing Harry on the pitch and torturing myself watching him on the pitch. But now, instead of staring at Potter's superb arse mounted on a broom as he whizzes past me yet again, I'm waiting for a professor to bring me today's schoolwork while I stare up at the ceiling.

I hear the heavy wooden doors open, and I don't turn my head. Madam Pomfrey doesn't move from a second year she's bandaging, so I assume it's a professor.

"Afternoon, Malfoy. Here's today's work."

I open my eyes slowly and look up. Harry is setting several books down and looking exceedingly awkward. "Potter. What are you doing here?"

Harry lifted his chin up proudly, the way he does when he's getting ready for a fight. "I wanted to talk to you about something. And Dumbledore asked me to bring you your work anyway."

I raise a single eyebrow, and slowly stand up from my position on the bed. Walking over to the bedside table, I make sure to knock into Potter before bending over. Harry is scowling when I look up, and I allow myself a slow smirk. Sitting back down on the bed, I crack open a potions book. "What did you wish to discuss?"

I hear Harry huff a sigh and can see him rake a scared hand through his already tousled hair in my periphery. "I was thinking-Maybe we could-Malfoy, I kind of need-"

"Potter, continue tripping over your words like this, and you're going to break your neck." Harry glares at me before straightening up.

"The other night, we talked about taking down Voldemort." I flinch, but he carries on. "Because of recent events, I don't think that you really are on His side, and you only became a Death Eater because you had to."

I sigh. "Harry, is there a point to this?" Harry's head snaps up, and he stares at me with wide eyes. "Sorry, were those two observations it?" He slowly shakes his head.

"I and some others are working to take down Voldemort and his Death Eaters. What if you became a sp-"

"I'm going to stop you right there, Potter. I no longer have the Dark Mark. If I go to the Dark Lord with no mark, he will kill me on the spot. So, no, I will not become a spy for your little Order."

Harry's eyes widen. "Yes, I knew all about your Order of the Phoenix. The Dark Lord told us to take you down any chance we got. Of course, your lot is rather good at hiding, so the 'chance' never arose."

Harry huffs. "Fine. Will you at least tell me what you know? Might be handy to know anything, you know?" I continue my stony glare. "Draco," Potter sighs my name and I ignore the fire in my belly. "I need to stop Him. You need to save your family. If I kill Voldemort, we both get solutions to our problems. Just-please." I don't move, and Harry keeps looking at the floor. As the minutes crawl by, his shoulders sag, and Harry turns and leaves the med wing.

Harry doesn't come back for two days. When he does, he's choking on his on blood.

**Sorry for writing such a short chapter! I just couldn't resist a cliff hanger! (Please don't kill me.)**


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